Teach Me What Love Is
by XxScrubADubxX
Summary: It's time for Eri to go to Elementary School, and Izuku can't help but feel a little worried. However, after Izuku meets his daughter's teacher, Ochako, feelings start to develop in ways that neither of them could've expected. (Modern AU, IzuOcha) (Also on AO3)
1. Chapter 1

**This was just a really cute idea that I had because I LOVE Quirkless AUs. I really hope I can be able to keep this up. Not sure how many chapters there'll be. Let's just roll with the punches!**

***italicized is thoughts/flashback**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MY HERO ACADEMIA**

* * *

**Chapter 1: You Can Do It**

"Eri….Eri…"

The girl's breath hitched as the low, raspy voice called her name. The room was cold and dark. Decorated with girly posters and items, fatal attempts at making her feel welcome. She could never be comfortable in a place like this. The man stood in the doorway, a mask covering the lower half of his face.

"Eri. It's time to go."

Tears began to form in her eyes. She gripped the sheets of her bed and gritted her teeth.

"I...I don't want to." Her voice was meek and quiet, the lump in her throat getting bigger.

"But Eri. You're the key to our operation."

"We..need..you." He took one step. Then another.

Eri flinched, looking up in terror of the mistake she had made.

"I...I.." She trembled, taking sharp inhales every few seconds.

"Someone's being a bad girl." His hand slowly reached closer to her. Eri watched as his eyes were still and dull.

"No...p-please don't…"

"It's okay."

Eri's eyes shot open. Her body covered in sweat and cheeks wet from tears. A gentle hand slowly caressed her head. She controlled her breathing as she stared into the kind, green eyes of her adoptive father.

"You're safe, Eri." Izuku softly whispered into her ear. She tightly squeezed the green bunny toy in the arms, and slowly felt herself going back to normal.

"Happened again, huh?" Izuku gently moved strands of hair away from her face.

"Y-yeah, I'm sorry." Eri said, looking down.

"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."

"Those times are over, Eri. You'll never have to go through that again. I promise." Izuku gave the girl a gentle smile, right before giving her a kiss on the forehead. Tiny giggles bubbled out from her, and the color started to return to her face.

"I love you, Daddy." It brought warmth to his entire body, and his grin was as wide as ever.

"I love you too, Eri."

"Let's get you out of bed, okay? It's your first day of school today." The little girl's feet hit the ground as her father helped her out of bed.

"Make sure to brush your teeth and wash your face. I'll go whip us up some breakfast!" Eri responded with a swift nod, then skipped toward the bathroom.

The batter sizzled as it hit the pan, the aroma of sweet pancakes filled the room. The father and daughter lived in an apartment complex, and while was rather small, it was also quaint and cozy. Some of the other residents got to be quite friendly with the two, and Izuku would always try to repay them by offering any help that he could provide.

The apartment was filled with merchandise of superheroes, as they were very important to Izuku throughout his childhood. Heroes had inspired Izuku to help those in need, and as long as he felt that he made someone's day a little bit better, it was enough for him.

He slid the spatula under the pancake and flipped it over, revealing the golden brown texture on the other side.

He thought about how grateful he was to help Eri. A young girl being forced to commit these crimes under such a scumbag of a man. He would make sure that never happens to her again.

"Wow! That smells good, Daddy!" Eri came running out, the ears of the green bunny plush flapped about. Izuku couldn't help but crack a smile.

To some, being a father at only 20 years old was too much of a hassle. But to him, it was worth every second to see her smiling face.

"It's almost ready, okay. Sit tight!" Eri climbed onto the chair and sat at the table. He removed the last of the pancakes and put one on a plate for Eri, who immediately drenched it in maple syrup.

"So, you ready for your first day?" Izuku asked the little girl. She stuffed her face with sweet and fluffy pancake, her cheeks turning red as she savored the flavor.

"I fink sho.." A small chuckle escaped Izuku's mouth and he warned her about talking with her mouth full. She quickly swallowed and took a drink of milk.

"As long as I have Deku with me, I'll be fine!" She squeezed the bunny in her hands, and Izuku gave a heartfelt smile.

"Of course."

Ever since Eri was rescued by the police, she's been going to a therapist to heal up any scars and trauma that may have been within her. Of course, it was difficult for her to open up at first. But slowly, very slowly, she started to share things about how she was feeling.

While she does have nightmares every once in a while, her therapist believes that she has made excellent progress in her recovery, and that it would be a good idea for her to start going to school.

Making friends and learning new things would definitely be beneficial to her. But with Izuku being the sympathetic and caring person that he is, he couldn't help but feel a little worried.

He watched the little girl devour the rest of her pancake, a smile never leaving her face.

He also knows how special and strong of a person Eri is. She'll figure out a way to get through it somehow, he believed.

"Hey, how come you get to have three pancakes and I only get one!?" Eri pouted. Izuku couldn't help but laugh.

"Let's just say I'm gonna need a lot more energy than you do." He playfully rubbed it in her face and took a big bite of the fluffy stack on his plate.

* * *

The car pulled into the parking lot of the building. Out front was a bright, multicolored sign that read "U.A. Elementary: Learning Is Plus Ultra." Izuku stifled a laugh at the corny attempt at a slogan. Many other kids and parents could be seen walking into the school.

Eri tightly gripping her father's hand, Izuku pushed open the front door and stepped into the building. The smell of fresh paint made his nose twitch. Childish doodles, photographs and fun, inspirational posters covered the walls. It made Izuku reflect on how simpler the times were when he was a child. Eri gazed at the various decorations.

Izuku's eyes squinted as he read the list on the wall. A list of the students and the classrooms they were going to be in. His eyes finally landed on Eri's name, and the two began to walk down the hallway.

"I wonder what my teacher will be like." Eri lightly squeezed Izuku's hand.

"I'm sure they're nice." Izuku gave the girl a reassuring smile.

Around the corner came a woman carrying a large stack of paper. Her chestnut-brown hair fell just above her shoulders, and her cheeks were rosy and pink.

It felt like the world was moving slower than usual. Izuku and the woman's eyes meet with each other for a second. Green mixing with brown, analyzing the other in the brief interval of time they had with each other.

Eventually, the two walked past each other, and the father and daughter arrived at the classroom door. Eri gave the green bunny a squeeze.

"Well, here we are." Izuku bent his knees and crouched down to be eye level with the little girl.

"You'll do great. I know it." His extended out his fist. A small smile formed on Eri's face, and she bumped her fist into his.

"Thanks, Daddy."

"I'll be back to come get you later, okay?" Izuku pushed open the door for her, and the little girl slowly walked inside. He stood and watched her through the glass panel of the door.

"She'll be fine, y'know." Jumping up slightly, Izuku turned around to see a young, but rather mature-looking woman. Her black eyes matched with her black hair, which she had in a ponytail. She giggled lightly at his reaction.

"I apologize for startling you. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu. Nice to meet you." She carried an elegance around her that Izuku found quite pleasant. Snapping out of his trance, he met her hand for a light handshake.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Izuku Midoriya."

"I'm guessing that little girl is your daughter?" She peeked over his shoulder to look at Eri.

"Yeah. She is." Momo gave Izuku a soft smile.

"You don't have to worry about her. There are many remarkable teachers and staff here, including myself. We're very grateful to have her with us."

"Well...that's reassuring." Izuku scratched his cheek.

"I hope you understand, but I do have business to attend to. I hope to see you two around here more often." She gave a slight wave goodbye and began to leave.

"Oh, t-thank you!" He exclaimed. He checked his watch for the time.

"Bout time to head to work, I suppose." He took one last look at the door before making his way to the exit.

* * *

A new school year. A fresh group of students for her to get to know better. The whole experience was such a delight for Ochako Uraraka, as well as many other teachers. It was only her second year teaching at the school, but she already adored her job.

She was currently on her way to drop off some documents in the teacher's lounge. She turned the corner to see a green-haired man and a little girl walking towards her.

As if time had slowed down, her eyes met with his. Leaving a somewhat buzzy feeling in her chest.

As she passed the father and daughter, she looked down to see the little girl holding what looked to be a green bunny plush in her arm. A small smile formed on Ochako's lips, thinking about how cute she thought it was.

Finally entering the teacher's lounge, Ochako was greeted by a slightly shorter, dark green-haired woman.

"Morning, Ochako."

"Good morning, Tsu! How are you?" Ochako said rather cheerfully.

"I'm well. The kids sure seem excited." Tsuyu held her finger to her chin as she spoke.

"Not as much as I am! I'm a different teacher than I was last year. I'm gonna kill it this year!" Ochako exclaimed with a determined fist in the air.

"Yeah..you were a mess last year." The brunette's cheeks darkened slightly, a soft chuckle escaped her lips as she rubbed the back of her head.

Ochako arrived to her classroom, which was now filled with about 20 kids. From talking with their new classmates, to looking at the picture books on the shelf, it was obvious to Ochako that this group was full of variety and energy. Cracking a smile, she clapped her hands together to get the class' attention.

"Okay, settle down everyone! Let's all gather on the carpet!" The children scurried to go take a seat. The carpet was blue and fuzzy, with a cartoon depiction of the solar system on it. Ochako stood in front of them with her hands behind her back, every little pair of eyes focused on her.

"Hello, everyone! It's a pleasure to meet you all! I'm your teacher, Miss Chako!" Ochako scanned the group to see a white-haired girl holding a green bunny, sitting off by herself. Realizing that the girl in the hallway was now in her class, Ochako couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Well, what do you say we all get to know each other a little better?"

* * *

"One Vanilla latte, on the double!" Izuku easily worked the coffee machine to prepare brewing the customer's order.

"Ingenium Roasts" was an establishment that has been in the city for a couple years. The art of coffee brewing was very important when it came to the Iida family, and they take it upon themselves to appreciate and share their beverages with others. The coffee shop was mainly popular with college students and adults. This is because the place gave of a rustic and peaceful atmosphere, and the current owners, Tenya and Izuku, were proud of that.

Izuku and Tenya have been great friends since high school. With Tenya's overly enthusiastic and certified attitude, it didn't take long for the two to start getting along. And now, they like to believe they make quite the team.

"Enjoy your drink, ma'am. Please come again soon!" Tenya handed the woman her vanilla latte, a bright expression on his face. The woman simply gave the man a soft smile in return.

"Maann, that girl was smokin' hot. Right, Midoriya?" A blonde man with a black lightning bolt-shaped streak in his hair, continuously nudged Izuku with his elbow. His toothy grin showed as his cheeks turned a slight pink.

Denki Kaminari was an interesting one, Izuku believed. He met him in college, where he would mostly find him either goofing off or "trying" to flirt with girls. But, Izuku also knew how reliable of a friend Denki was, and the two of them have good chemistry together.

"I don't think Kyoka would be very happy about you saying that." Izuku smirked, the blonde grumbling in frustration.

"What's the matter!? I'm just acknowledging their beauty!"

"YOUR HANDS SHOULD BE MOVING, NOT YOUR MOUTHS! WE HAVE CUSTOMERS!" Tenya shouted from the front counter, causing the two coffee brewers to flinch slightly. Tenya could sure be seriously intimidating when he wanted to be.

"Jeez. Well, how about you man? Any luck with the ladies lately?" Denki teasingly asked the green-haired man.

"Oh, uh, not really." Izuku nervously scratched his freckled cheek.

He did feel bad about it sometimes. For himself of course, but mostly because of Eri. Other than his mother, Eri didn't have a female figure to look up to. As a man, he knew that he wouldn't be able to help her with everything she would be going through, and that made him worry.

"Well that sucks...HEY I COULD HELP FIND SOMEONE FOR YOU!

"No thanks."

"WHAT DID I JUST SAY!" Izuku and Denki quickly got back to work. Even though Izuku was also an owner, Tenya was way more intimidating.

Izuku apologized a million times to Tenya for having to leave work early, but he had to go pick up Eri from school. Of course, Tenya fully understanded, saying that they would definitely be able to manage.

Izuku pushed open the school's front door, ready to make his way to his daughter's classroom. What he didn't expect was to see his daughter and a brown-haired woman, talking and laughing on a bench together.

"Daddy!" Eri ran to her dad and gave him a hug, which he didn't hesitate to return. He looked up to see the woman smiling at him.

'_This is the same…' _Izuku thought as he stared at her briefly.

"Your daughter's such a delight." Ochako stood up.

"Oh! I'm Eri's teacher, Ochako Uraraka, but all my students call me Miss Chako."

"I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you."

"Miss Chako's really nice! Listen to what she did…" Eri exclaimed as she tugged on her father's shirt.

"_First things first, why don't we go and talk to someone we don't know yet? It'll help us make friends!" Ochako proposed. The children scurried across the carpet, starting conversations about things they liked with each other. Eri looked around worried, as she wasn't used to being around so many people at once. Ochako walked up and crouched down to the little girl._

"_Well, we don't know each other, right?" Ochako said, a gentle tone in her voice. Eri stared at the woman with big, red eyes._

"_What's your name?"_

"_E-Eri."_

"_Oh, what a lovely name!" Ochako clasped her hands together._

"_You don't have to be shy. Everyone here cares about you, y'know….That's a cute bunny." Eri looked down at the plush in her arms, and gave it a little squeeze._

"_His name's Deku." _

"_Y'know, Deku sounds like 'You can do it!', and I think that means something for you, Eri. Now, let's go have some fun!" Ochako gave the little girl an encouraging smile, causing for Eri to show a tiny one in return. _

"_Okay." Eri quietly said, as she grabbed Ochako's hand._

After hearing the story from his daughter, he felt as though he had to thank her. Ochako grew a bit flustered from his sudden actions.

"Oh, don't worry about it! I was just doing my job is all!" Ochako waved her hands in front of her.

"Yeah, but after everything she's been through, it probably meant a lot to hear that from someone else. So, seriously, thank you." Izuku gave the woman a warm smile. Eri looked up at her father with bright eyes. Ochako's shoulders lifted up as she gave a smile in return.

"Well, you're welcome." A few seconds passed before Ochako decided it was time to leave.

"Ah, well I should probably get going. There's still some papers I need to look at."

"Oh! I'm so sorry for taking your time! We'll be on our way now." Izuku turned around and pushed the front door open slightly.

"We'll..see you tomorrow I guess." A crooked grin was plastered on his face.

"Bye, Miss Chako!" Eri shouted, waving goodbye. Ochako waved back, and the two began to walk toward the car. With each step that Izuku took, he couldn't help but think. She was kinda cute…

As Ochako happily watched the two leave, Tsuyu and Momo peeked out from around the corner.

"Who was that?" Tsuyu asked, causing for a little squeal to escape from the brunette. Ochako's cheeks darkened slightly as she stuttered at the two eavesdroppers.

"Are you really crushing on one of your students' fathers already?" Tsuyu put a finger to her chin.

"O-OF COURSE NOT!"

"Oh boy, wait until Mina hears about this." Momo cupped her cheek in her hand. Ochako grumbled slightly, fully knowing the interrogation she would be getting from the pink-haired romantic once she found out.

"But seriously, Ochako. You're an amazing and beautiful woman. You deserve to find love." Momo gave her a soft smile. Ochako's eyes drifted back outside, a dust of pink on her cheeks.

"If you say so."

* * *

Eri fast asleep, Izuku stared at his bedroom ceiling as he took the time to collect his thoughts. Eri really did seem like she enjoyed going to school. Maybe Izuku had nothing to worry about. She would be able to get through it just fine. A small smile crept its way onto his face.

And her teacher sure seems like a good influence on her as well.

He recalled his meetings with her in the hallway and after school. Her big brown eyes, her rosy pink cheeks, her chestnut-brown hair, her adorable smile…

'I wonder…'

A loud, crashing noise from beneath him interrupted his thought. He quickly sat up in his bed.

"It's 2 AM. Who's downstairs making so much noise?" He tried not to speak too loud. He put on his sneakers and left his apartment.

In the middle of the stairwell, Izuku saw a cardboard box filled with a variety of items scattered across the floor. And right behind that, was a woman laid face-down on the ground. Izuku immediately panicked and ran over to her.

"Hey! Are you okay!?" Izuku kneeled down and shook her back. He lifted her up and turned her around, but what he didn't expect to see was the face of his daughter's teacher.

"Ochako!?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I use a lot of dialogue :/**

**A little shorter chapter, but I hope you still enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Late Night**

His mouth still slightly agape from the shock, Izuku held the brunette in his arms. He couldn't help but notice the distressed expression on her face. He watched as her chest rose slowly, then fell back down, signaling that the woman was indeed still breathing. A huge wave of relief washed over him. She must have blacked out somehow.

Why was she here? Was she visiting a family member? Friend? Significant other?

Izuku's breathing hitched slightly as he thought about the last term. He quickly chose to ignore it, as there were much more important things at hand.

He shifted his position to pull Ochako closer to him. He turned and as carefully as he could, pulled Ochako onto his back. His cheeks flushed as he felt her chest place itself onto his back muscles. He held his hands on the back of her thighs and stood up slowly. As he started to make his way back to his room, he took a glance at the cardboard box on the floor. He would have to come back for it later.

As he walked up the stairs, he tried his best not to jostle her too much. Ochako's head rested up near his shoulder, and every now and then, he felt the slightest breath tickle the back of his neck. He opened the door to his room and stepped into the living room area, slowly transferring Ochako to the couch.

As her body hit the cushion, her eyelids twitch. She slowly opened her eyes to see Izuku staring at her with concern. He smiled in relief. Before he could open his mouth, Ochako let out a loud shriek and landed a surprisingly strong kick into his stomach. The smile quickly left his face, as he stumbled onto the carpet. Now getting a better look at the man, Ochako's face softened, now showing pure confusion.

"Izuku?"

"W-wow. You sure know how to kick.." Izuku held his stomach, his expression trying to hide how much pain he was really in.

"What are you doing in my ro-" Ochako was about to say before she looked around to see all of the superhero merchandise, hanging on walls and placed on shelves.

Oh.

This wasn't her room. Her face flushed in embarrassment.

"THEN WHAT AM I DOING IN YOUR ROOM?"

"S-sorry. But, I found you passed out in the stairwell. I wasn't sure where else to take you." Izuku finally stood back up. Ochako's eyes widened in surprise. She...passed out?

"So, y-you carried, me here?" Her pink cheeks darkened slightly. Izuku's freckled cheeks were dusted pink as his eyes quickly darted away for her.

"Y-yeah. Kinda. Sorry." Suddenly, light giggles escaped Ochako's lips, and she gave him a warm smile.

"You don't have to keep apologizing for helping me, y'know. Thank goodness you found me. I really appreciate it." Izuku returned her smile with one of his own.

"No problem, but what were you doing in the apartment complex?"

"Oh, I'm moving in! What a coincidence, right?" Izuku blinked as he processed what she said.

"I ended up staying at the school longer than I'd hoped, then I had to work on packing up most of my stuff from my old place and bringing it here. I must have been super drained after all of it, and passed out right there." Ochako rubbed the back of her head.

"Actually, now that I think about it, the box I was carrying earlier was the last one. Argh, if I had just held out a little longer I wouldn't have caused you so much trouble!" Ochako gritted her teeth in frustration.

"No no, it's not your fault! You never could've known this would happen, and besides I'm happy to help!" Izuku waved his hands in front of him.

"You stay here. I'll go down and get your stuff." He turned around to go back downstairs.

"Wait!" Izuku looked back as Ochako called out.

"Why are you doing all of this for me? I mean, we barely know each other." Ochako quietly said, looking slightly guilty. Izuku showed her a genuine smile.

"Well, because, you're a good person. I could tell that as soon as I met you." Ochako's brown eyes grew bigger, and her cheeks reddened slightly. A sheepish grin crept its way onto her face.

"Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'll be right back." He exited and closed the door. Ochako laid back on the couch, staring at the ceiling as she waited for his return.

Arriving back at the area where he found Ochako, Izuku picked the box off the ground and started to gather the items that had fallen out.

Besides getting kicked in the gut, he had to admit that being with Ochako felt good. Refreshing in a way. He couldn't figure out why, but for now he knew that he enjoyed feeling this way.

Everything back inside the box, he made his way back to his room. Using his shoulder to push open the door, Izuku stepped inside.

"Alright, here's everythi-" Izuku stopped his sentence midway, as he saw Ochako fast asleep on the couch. She curled up slightly, strands of her brown hair falling over her face. Izuku smiled, placing the box on the table.

He took an extra blanket from the closet and placed it over her. He could hear her soft breathing as he went closer to her.

He supposed he'd be fine with her spending the night tonight.

The blaring "beep" of his alarm clock made Izuku squirm underneath his sheets, a subtle groan escaping his mouth. He rubbed the drowsiness from his eyes as he sat up in his bed. He walked out to see that the cardboard box wasn't on the table, and Ochako was no longer laying on the couch. A note with unfamiliar handwriting was left on the counter. Izuku picked up the piece of paper and looked it over.

_I'm sooo sorry for staying here overnight like that. I guess I was a lot more tired than I thought. But, thank you again for all your help. I don't know what would've happened without you. My room is actually directly below yours. Here's my number in case you ever need anything. I'm gonna have to pay you back somehow! _

_From, Ochako _

A crooked smile was plastered on Izuku's face.

"What's that, Daddy?" Izuku jumped up slightly, and turned around to see his daughter innocently staring at him. His cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.

"O-oh, it's just, uh.."

"Wait, why are you even awake right now!? Back to bed!"

* * *

Izuku slipped on his jacket, as he got ready to leave work early. Business at Ingenium Roasts was good, but not overwhelming, so it didn't seem like it would be a problem. He was already running late, so he figured he should leave soon.

"Okay guys, I'm heading out now!" Izuku shouted to his coworkers.

"Try not to miss us too much!" Denki shouted back, leaning against the counter.

"Try to reel in some more customers while you're out. Tell them the macarons are half-off and delicious!" Tenya exclaimed with his signature hand motions, startling some unexpecting customers. Izuku smiled with a nod, and left the shop.

He arrived at the school to see Eri with Ochako in the main lobby. Upon seeing her father, Eri ran to him and gave him a hug.

"Sorry I'm always the last one here." Izuku said, looking up at Ochako. Ochako immediately shook her head.

"No no, it's fine! I'm sure you have a lot on your plate."

"I know I said it last night...a-and in the note, but thank you so much again, seriously!" Ochako bowed slightly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ochako noticed Tsuyu with her jacket on, closing a door behind her. The brunette called her over.

"Oh, hey Tsu! Come here for a sec!" The green-haired woman held a finger to her chin, as she turned and started walking over to the two. Her big eyes landed on Izuku.

"I'd like to introduce you to Izuku Midoriya. He's Eri's father."

"I-it's nice to meet you." Izuku reached his hand out to meet with Tsuyu's.

"Same to you. I'm Tsuyu Asui, but you can call me Tsu if you'd like."

"Tsu, listen to this. Izuku here, just so happens to live in the same apartment that I moved in! Isn't that crazy?" Ochako exclaimed, laughter hidden in her voice. Tsuyu stared at the brunette, waiting for her to continue.

"Hehe...a-and I, kinda passed out on the floor and Izuku had to carry me up the stairs…" Ochako nervously rubbed the back of her head, deeply blushing. Tsuyu simply nodded, fully expecting something like that coming along.

"I knew you'd get yourself in trouble somehow. Thank you very much, Izuku." Tsuyu sighed, then looked at the green-haired man with gratitude.

"O-oh, it was no problem at all, seriously! I'm happy I could help." Eri held her father's hand, staring at the adults with a blank expression on her face.

"Anyways, I should be going." Tsuyu said, almost walking away. Before she took a step away, she moved closer to Ochako's ear to whisper something.

"He seems like a really good guy."

Ochako's cheeks reddened slightly and her shoulders perked up. Tsuyu walked away, waving goodbye to Eri and Izuku as she left.

"Well! I guess I'll go straight home, I've got nothing else to do after all!" Ochako announced, a little louder than she probably should've. Izuku nervously scratched his freckled cheek.

"Hey.."

"Do you like macarons?"

* * *

"Mmmmm, der shooo good!" Ochako held her cheek in the hand, a large smile on her face as she chewed the sweet pastry in her mouth. Izuku grinned at her across the table as she experienced true bliss.

'_She's just like Eri.' _Izuku thought.

"It's great that you like them. I'm, uh, a-actually the one who made them." Ochako quickly swallowed, taking Izuku by surprise. Her eyes glistened as her face drew slightly closer to his.

"No way! I didn't know you could bake!" Ochako, being an enthusiast of all things sweet, couldn't help but be ecstatic at the realization. Izuku flushed and rubbed his hand through his messy hair.

"W-well, not exactly. Macarons are my mom's favorite dessert, so I learned how to make them for her. Other than that, all I really know how to bake is bread." He waved his hands in front of him.

"Ah! I hope that you're enjoying everything!" Izuku and Ochako both turned to see Tenya standing at their table, hands on his hips. He turned and smiled at Ochako.

"My name is Tenya Iida, the owner of this establishment! May I just say, I'm extremely grateful you decided to join us today!" His erratic hand movements throwing Ochako off.

"And I'm Denki Kaminari!" Denki popped up from behind Tenya with a huge grin on his face.

"What the-! Aren't you supposed to be working!?" Tenya shouted as he looked at the blonde. Denki held his arms up behind his head.

"You're the one who told me I needed to go and greet the customers more."

"Why would you choose the same one as me!?" Denki pouted as he turned his head. The banter caused Ochako and Eri to giggle slightly.

"Whatever. Come on, Eri! The new marshmallows we got for the hot cocoa are TRIPLE SIZED!" Denki exclaimed.

"YAAYYY!" Eri shouted, following Denki to the kitchen. While he was still in eyesight, Denki winked at Izuku, causing the man to blush slightly.

"THOSE ARE FOR THE CUSTOMERS!" Ochako giggled louder this time, as she watched Tenya run after the two.

"Wow, you're friends with some interesting people, Izuku." Izuku chuckled sheepishly as he looked down.

"Plus, I think it's great that they take the time to be with Eri!" Ochako clapped her hands together cheerfully. Izuku forced a weak smile, however it was gone just as fast as it appeared.

Feelings suddenly began to overwhelm him. Feelings of events that he thought about every single day, and everytime they made him angry.

"Um, about that. There's, something I should tell you..about Eri." His eyes suddenly grew darker. Ochako's expression changed, and she prepared herself for what she was about to hear.

"You could probably guess this already, but Eri's not my biological daughter. I adopted her. But even before that, her life was extremely traumatizing for her."

Izuku's eyes stared into Ochako's, the lump in her throat growing bigger as the anticipation crept over her.

"Her actual biological father was a drug dealer. For years, Eri was used against her will and had to be in extremely dangerous conditions. I believe they took advantage of her since she was small and wouldn't be noticed easily. And when she didn't obey, her father would hit her, leaving marks and bruises all over her body. I was even told she witnessed people die directly in front of her."

Ochako was speechless. Her hand moving to cover her mouth in shock.

"The police eventually took him in of course and Eri was rescued, but she had to go through a lot of therapy. Even now, she still has nightmares from time to time." Izuku squeezed his eyes closed.

"It's just...the reason I'm telling you all this is because.."

"Adopting Eri is the best thing that's ever happened to me. And I'll never let her feel any pain like that again. I'm grateful for people like you, y'know. The ones who try to see Eri for who she truly is. So..I, just thought you should know." Izuku finished his statement with a warm, yet sad smile.

"Izuku, I really appreciate you telling me. But, I don't know why you're giving me most of the credit." She softly stared into his eyes with her hands on the table.

"You're her hero, Izuku. You're the one who gave her a home in the first place. You're the one who showed her love for the first time. Eri's probably the luckiest little girl in the world to have a father like you." Izuku's held his mouth slightly agape, before a small smile formed on his face.

"Thank you." Ochako perked up, her hair bouncing.

Taking some extra macarons with her, Ochako left the coffee shop and started making her way home. Eri was reunited with her father, and he gave the little girl's hand a small squeeze and he held it. Denki soon came strolling back out, casually whistling.

"Sooo, did you get her number?"

"Oh, I have it already. From when she spent the night at my apartment." Izuku calmly responded.

"Haha, nice man!" Denki enthusiastically smacked him on the back.

"WAIT, WHEN SHE DID WHAT!?"

* * *

Izuku laid in his bed, arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Suddenly, his phone vibrated. He picked it up to see a text from Ochako.

**Ochako:**_ I can't get over how delicious these macarons are! If you ever try another dessert let me know! I wanna be the first one to taste it! :D_

A smile stretched across his face, bringing warmth to his cheeks. He quickly typed out a reply.

**Izuku:** _You have my word._


	3. Chapter 3

**I just wanna start by saying I'm SOOOOOOOO SORRY FOR LEAVING THIS STORY FOR A BIT! Between tests and projects, things have prevented me from thinking of ideas. BUT WE'RE BACK NOW! I really hope I can finish this story so I'll keep trying my best. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Field Day**

"Ooohh, what's his name? What's he like? Is he handsome? C'mon, I gotta know!"

Ochako knew that this moment would arrive sooner or later. No one's ever ready for an interrogation from the queen of romance herself. Ochako's pink cheeks glowed bright red as she was shaken back and forth by the pink-haired girl.

"Calm down, Mina. I'm sure the two of them have a wonderful relationship." Momo tried to defend the brunette.

"Yeah, makes me wonder just how deep their relationship is gonna go.." Kyoka smirked as she twirled her finger through her hair. Ochako's eyes darted around the room, completely avoiding her friends' gazes.

Mina and Kyoka were some of Ochako's best friends from college, and since moving into the city, Momo and Tsuyu had become well acquainted with them as well. Going out for food and chatting was a usual for the group, where they would catch up on work experiences, social life, and most importantly, relationships.

"I-It's not like that. We're just friends." Ochako took a sip of her bubble tea. There was no way she could mention that the two live in the same building. Nonetheless, that she spent the night at his apartment. Her and Tsuyu made an agreement that it wouldn't be brought up. For Ochako's own safety.

"I suppose...for now." Mina smirked at the brunette, leaning on top of the table.

"A-ANYWAY, HOW ARE THINGS GOING WITH SHOTO?" Ochako, now throwing the attention of the group to Momo. The woman blushed slightly and held her cheek in her palm.

"Oh yeah, Shoto. Haven't seen him in a while." Kyoka added.

"Yeah, he can get pretty busy sometimes. But, things with us have been very well. He acts like the cool, silent type - but he's actually a bit of a softie."

"It's been a little over a year with you two, right? Well, do you think he's gonna propose?" Mina asked before shoving a pastry in her mouth. Momo's face flushed to match the red sundress she was wearing.

"I-I don't know. We're still young after all, we're not rushing into anything." She scratched her cheek.

"It's good to take things slow sometimes. Marriage is a big deal." Tsuyu said with a finger to her chin.

Marriage. Every girl has thought about it at some point in their life. A little girl, growing up to be a beautiful bride. Walking down the aisle in that puffy, white dress - all to reach the love of her life, waiting with a heart-melting smile on his face.

Ochako hasn't had much experience with romance, besides short-lived crushes on actors or boys at her school. But, she doesn't consider things like that actual love. Momo was so mature. She had someone that she shared a special bond with. Someone she could possibly see herself being with for the rest of her life. She loved him, and he loved her. Ochako sipped her tea as she listened in on the conversation.

Can't help but wonder what it feels like..

"Stay safe everyone!" Momo waved to all of her friends. The sun slowly descended, illuminated the sky to an orange-like hue.

"We'll all be seeing each other again real soon!" Kyoka waved back.

"Byeee Chako'! Don't forget to keep me updated, okay?" Mina shouted before walking off, leaving a bewildered grin on the brunette's face.

The drive back home was quiet and peaceful, Ochako being enveloped in her own thoughts. Ochako unlocked the door to her apartment and entered her room. Kicking off her shoes, she went directly to the kitchen and pulled a carton of ice cream out the freezer. She hesitated with a large spoon in her hand, a troubled look on her face. Until, she broke - and shoveled a spoonful of the strawberry-flavored treat into her mouth. A sigh escaped her mouth.

"Control yourself, Ochako. Stress eating isn't good for you." With that, she put the ice cream away. Ochako headed to her bedroom and threw herself onto her firm, but comfortable enough mattress. She snuggled into her pillow as she pondered.

_'Momo has her whole life together. She's stunningly beautiful, has a boyfriend who cares about her, not to mention she's pretty wealthy.'_

_'But, what do I have?'_

* * *

Izuku opened the door to the elementary school to once again find his daughter and Ochako waiting for him on the bench. Eri's instinct reaction was to run to her father and embrace him, which he gratefully returned.

"Sorry for making you wait. You too, Ochako." Izuku said, now looking up at the brunette. Ochako giggled lightly.

"It's fine. It's fun talking with Eri. Plus, there's actually something I wanted to ask you." She said, pulling out a list on a clipboard. Izuku looked at her in curiosity, waiting for her to continue.

"There's a field day coming up for the kids, and we're asking people if they wanted to help volunteer. It's gonna be a day of games and food, and just tons of fun! No pressure obviously, but if you wanted to help, let me kn-"

"Of course, I'd be happy to! When is it?" Ochako was caught off guard by his enthusiasm.

"O-oh, it's on Friday. This week."

"I'll be there. You can count on me." Izuku said, giving her a thumbs up. Ochako smiled at how quickly she convinced him, now writing his name on the list she was holding.

"Thanks so much Izuku, seriously. Now, we still have to find someone to monitor the kids' exercise.." Ochako put the pen to her chin as she pondered.

"What, like a physical training coach?" Izuku asked. Ochako nodded, his suggestion being somewhat along those lines. Izuku put his hand to his chin as he thought.

"I think I might know someone who can help."

* * *

"No fucking way."

"C'mon, Kacchan! I'm begging you!" Izuku pleaded to his spiky-haired, childhood friend.

Katsuki and Izuku had known each other for nearly their entire lives. While in the past, their relationship was shaky and complicated, nowadays Izuku likes to consider them to be friends. Katsuki was all about being active, and had the job of being a personal trainer - which is exactly why Izuku thought he might be of assistance.

"It was annoying enough when you adopted that brat! Now you want me to be around dozens of em'!? As if!" Sticking his thumb down as he shook his head in rejection.

"Hey! I'm not annoying!" Eri pouted.

"Kacchan, this is important to me. Can't you just do me a favor this one time?" Izuku begged with his hands together, leaving little to no reaction from the blonde.

"Why not do it? I wanna go too! It sounds fun!" Eijiro enthusiastically said, Eri sitting on his shoulders. Eijiro was Katsuki's partner, and one of the only few people who could actually keep him under control. Katsuki simply scoffed and turned away.

"What's in it for me?" Izuku took some time to think it over, remembering the things that Katsuki actually liked.

"I'll treat you to that jumbo-sized 'Flaming Atomic Ramen Bowl' from that restaurant you like so much." Izuku stated, finally settling on something. Katsuki squinted his eyes slightly.

"And twelve slices of pork."

"Ten." Izuku stuck out his hand for a handshake. A low grunt escaped Katsuki's mouth, but he crumbled and grabbed the man's hand.

"It's a deal then!" Izuku couldn't hold back the smile on his face.

"So, who's this all for anyway? You sure seem to be putting a lot of effort into it!" Eijiro asked the green-haired man, catching him off guard.

"It's for Miss Chako'! She's really nice, and her and daddy have been getting along great!" Eri shouted from the redhead's shoulders before even giving a chance for Izuku to speak. A toothy grin crept its way on Eijiro's face.

"MISS Chako', huh? So it's a girl! That explains everything." Izuku couldn't stop his face from flushing with red.

"C'mon, i-it's not anything weird! I'm just happy to help out a friend, that's all!" Izuku sputtered out, waving his hands in front of his face. Leaving a smirking Eijiro, beaming Eri, and scowling Katsuki, all looking at him.

"Anyways, c'mon Eri. We should get home. Don't be late on Friday!" Izuku said, directing the last line to the two men. Eri was lowered down and quickly ran to meet her father.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO DAMMIT!"

"You can count on us!" Eijiro sported a thumbs up, before watching the father and daughter leave the room.

* * *

After Ochako being incredibly grateful to Izuku for finding what she needed, Friday had finally arrived.

Izuku and Eri arrived at the school, the father's ears perking up as he heard commotion going on from behind it. The two walked to the giant field behind the school to see concession stands, obstacle courses, as well as items such as frisbees and jump ropes scattered about. His eyes eventually landed on where most of the noise was coming from.

"ALRIGHT, YOU MAGGOTS!" Katsuki shouted as he stood before the elementary students, hands behind his back. Izuku sweatdropped, knowing that he should've seen something like this coming.

"Listen up! Some of you may think you're tough, but guess what? I'm tougher! You think this is some kind of game? If I catch anyone of you slacking off, there'll be hell to pay! Now, five laps to that cone and back! On the double!" Katsuki ordered, pointing to a yellow cone off in the distance. The kids quickly began to run, leaving the blonde with a satisfied smirk on his face. Eri abandoned her father to go merge with the group.

"He sure has the intimidating part down." Izuku jumped and quickly turned around to find Tsuyu looking at him.

"O-oh, it's just you Asui."

"I told you to call me Tsu. We told Katsuki to keep the kids occupied while we finished setting up. Here, put this on." Tsuyu held up an orange-colored t-shirt that matched what all the other adults were wearing. Excluding Katsuki, who refused to put one on.

After coming back from the bathroom to change his shirt, a voice called out to him from one of the stands.

"Hey, Izuku!" He looked over to see a beaming Ochako waving at him. He couldn't help but smile in return, as he quickly rushed over to her location. Nearby however, Izuku spotted another familiar face. A man with half-red, half-white hair stood next to Momo carrying a box.

"Woah, Shoto! I didn't think you'd be here!" Izuku exclaimed, a smile spread across his face. Shoto turned to notice his green-haired friend, and gave him a small smile in return.

"Momo asked me to come help, so I couldn't turn her down."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Ochako chimed in, asking the two.

"Yep, since high school! Tenya's good friends with him too!" Izuku responded to her.

"Speaking of which, the three of us should find time to get together soon!" Another new voice perked Ochako's ears as she saw Tenya now walking up to them, along with Denki, Mina, and Kyoka.

"T-Tenya? What are you doing here?" The brunette pointed him out.

"Oh, I asked him to come. Figured we could use all the help we can get, right?" Ochako's eyes softened as she listened to what Izuku had said. She had never expected all of this from him.

"It's my pleasure. Afterall, regular physical activity is vital to both young bodies and minds!" Tenya did his usual robotic hand movements, causing those who didn't know him to get caught off guard.

"And I wanted to get out of work!" Denki exclaimed from behind his shoulder, resulting in a swift smack in the head by Kyoka.

"Well, well, well.." Ochako's heart skipped a beat as she noticed Mina coming everso closer to her with a sly expression on her face. Each step being more nerve wracking than the last. Of course, she just HAD to be standing next to Izuku right now.

"You must be the one!" Mina being uncomfortably close to Izuku's face, as he stared at her in complete confusion. Everything in Ochako's body was telling her to just scream. But, she resisted.

"U-uh, the one? I-I don't f-follow.." Izuku started sweating bullets, as he was completely lost in what to do in this situation.

"Hm, you'll find out soon enough I hope. I'm Mina Ashido by the way." She said, backing away from the man's face.

"I-Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you." He shook the girl's hand, a friendly grin slowly appearing on his face.

"Izuku, huh? I'll be keeping my eye on you." Her golden eyes darted to Ochako before walking off to go help somewhere else. The brunette's pink cheeks darkened slightly, but she quickly shook it off.

"Umm...I'm so confused." Izuku muttered, his expression reminding Ochako of a lost puppy.

"Okay everyone! We're all set up, so let's get this field day started!" Momo shouted, her excitement spreading to everyone else.

The kids were given the opportunity to go to any area they wanted. They could play on their own, or participate in one of the activities that were planned. Katsuki and Eijiro monitored the flag football game. Izuku was in charge of ultimate frisbee. Tenya and Kyoka were in charge of the obstacle course.

Shoto and Denki manned the grill, cooking up hotdogs and hamburgers for everyone. Eijiro's mouth watered as the smell of the meat wafted through the air. Tsuyu and Mina gave the kids drinks if they needed them. And last but not least, Momo and Ochako overlooked everything - not being afraid to ask if anyone needed help with anything. Ochako couldn't help but be happy as she watched the huge amount of smiles running throughout the field. She could've sworn she even saw Katsuki crack a smile at some point. Everything was going as well as she hoped they would.

After an hour or two, Mina and Iida came out with two kiddie-sized inflatable pools, each one containing tons of water balloons.

"Alright everyone! It's time for the first of the 'Boys vs Girls' Competitions! Who's ready for a water balloon fight?" Mina pumped her fist into the air, getting a chorus of enthusiastic screams from the children.

"Please go to your designated area based on your gender! Blue is for boys and pink is for girls!" Iida also shouted.

The two groups lined up of equal distance from each other. In addition to all the students, there was Izuku, Shoto, Tenya, Eijiro, and Denki on the blue side. And Ochako, Momo, Mina, Kyoka, and Tsuyu on the pink side. Eijiro turned around after realizing someone was missing, and saw Katsuki away from them eating a cheeseburger.

"C'mon, Katsuki! We need your help on the boys' team!" Eijiro shouted to him, leaving no change in expression from the blonde.

"Yeah, right. I'm not stupid enough to get all wet for some childish game like this."

"Hmm, sounds to me like someone's afraid to get a little water on him. You do seem like such a delicate flower though, something like that might break you. I guess it can't be helped." Kyoka shouted, a teasing tone in her voice. A nerve was struck, and a fire was lit inside his red eyes.

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S DELICATE!" Katsuki ran over to the balloons and hurled one in Kyoka's direction, her laughing as the water sprayed out to hit people surrounding her.

"It really is that easy, huh?" Eijiro muttered, referring to how easy it was for the blonde to be manipulated.

"I-I guess we're starting now!" Izuku frantically picked up his own water balloon and hurled it to the opposing side. After that, chaos ensued. Dozens of pink and blue balloons were tossed back and forth, erupting screams and laughter among both children and adults. Water splashed against Ochako's arm as she shrieked in delight, looking up to see a cheesy grin on Izuku's face.

"You're gonna pay for that!" A determined expression appeared on her face, grabbing a water balloon and tossing it. However, it didn't hit Izuku as it was intended. Instead, it hit Tenya square in the face - leaving his glasses now crooked. Ochako and Izuku couldn't contain their laughter, both of them holding their stomachs as they chuckled away. Before Izuku could react again, a balloon hit him in the face as well. But to his surprise, it was blue.

"Kacchan, we're on the same team!" Izuku shouted, wiping water from his face.

"I know." Katsuki smirked, a wave of satisfaction washing over him. A whistle was blown, signaling for everyone to stop what they were doing.

"Great job, everyone! Looks like both sides did really well!" Momo congratulated them, everyone completely soaked in water.

"Wait, you can't really call a winner of this can you?" Denki said after realization.

"Eh, not really. But it doesn't really matter as long as the kids have fun, right?" Mina said, Momo nodding in agreement.

"Then you shouldn't have called it a competition, dumbasses! What's the point of something if I can't win?" Katsuki muttered under his breath, annoyed at the complete waste of his time.

The next event for the 'Boys vs Girls Competition' was the 50 M Dash. One boy and one girl from each class would race, and whoever won would earn a point for either the boys or girls team. Eri even earned a point by beating a boy from her class, almost resulting in a tear being shed from Izuku. The points were now tied up and to end it all, one male adult and one female adult were gonna have to race.

"I think Izuku should do the honors." Tenya suggested, catching the green-haired boy completely by surprise.

"What? But you're the fastest, Tenya!" Izuku shot back at him.

"Yes, but it seems that the children have grown on you more. So it would be much more satisfying if you were to go." The other guys egged him on, until Izuku cracked and walked up to the starting line - a crooked smile on his face.

"Why don't you go too, Ochako? It only seems right." Mina suggested to the brunette, squinting her eyes with glee. Ochako let out a tiny yelp, but nonetheless went to stand next to Izuku on the starting line. Once they were both settled, Momo raised the flag in the air.

"On your mark…" Both sides cheered for their representatives as the two got into a ready position.

"Get set…" Eri felt bad about betraying her father, but she was gonna have to cheer for Ochako on this one.

"GO!" They pushed off.

Both of them kept a steady rhythm as they ran, keeping track of both their breathing and how hard they pushed. For a while, they were completely even with each other. However, Izuku could feel Ochako slowly pulling ahead of him. She could feel it too.

The screams and cheers surrounding her slowly faded out as she focused only on what was in front of her. She was almost there. She could almost touch it.

'_I'm gonna win.' _She gave one final push.

'_I'm gonna win!'_

A sharp pain shot through her ankle and she winced in pain, her body stumbling to the ground. The crowd went silent, and Izuku's eyes widened as he stopped in his tracks to immediately go over to her. Her friends quickly ran over as well.

"Ochako! You okay!?" Izuku shouted, his voice full of concern. Her eyes opened slowly and she forced a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I'm fi-" As she moved to try to stand up, she let out a small shriek and gritted her teeth as her ankle throbbed in pain.

"Looks like she twisted her ankle." Shoto said softly.

"It's not good to leave it untreated. We should take her to the nurse's office, there's supplies there." Momo suggested. Ochako looked down rather guiltily, feeling bad about interrupting the activities.

"I'll take her. C'mon, I'll carry you there." Izuku said, carefully trying to maneuver her into a better position.

"W-wait!" Ochako gripped his shirt, catching his attention.

"There are a lot of people here. I-I don't want them to think we're..y'know. If you help me, I can walk. It's not that bad." Ochako whispered to him, her face burning a bright red. Izuku blushed as well, but respected her wishes and slowly helped her to stand up before walking back inside the school.

After arriving to the nurse's office, which was thankfully unlocked, Izuku sat Ochako into a chair. He pulled another one in front of her and grabbed a pillow from the bed to rest her foot on. She tensed as he carefully unlaced her shoe and removed her sock to examine her injury. It was slightly swollen, but he figured some ice would get the job done.

He found a tiny fridge and freezer that had individually wrapped bags of ice inside. This school sure was organized, he thought. Ochako took in a sharp breath as he carefully laid the bag of ice on her ankle, the cold slowly numbing the pain on her body.

"There! We'll leave that there for a little bit." Izuku gave her a comforting smile. Ochako stayed silent for a bit, as she watched the ice slowly melt away little by little.

"You're..always helping me."

"What?" Izuku muttered, not expecting the sudden statement.

"First at the apartment, and now here. I feel bad, cause you're always going out of your way for me." Ochako admitted quietly. She looked up however to hear Izuku's soft, chuckly laughter.

"Ochako, it's not a burden to me at all. I do it because I want to. Friends help each other out, right?"

"O-or at least I assumed we were f-friends! I-I don't know if I'm using the term t-too quickly, I m-mean we haven't known each other for that long b-but we've been getting along really well and you're super nice to Eri so I figured-" Izuku's embarrassed tangent was cut off as he heard Ochako's bubbly giggle. It gave him a similar feeling inside his chest. Bubbly, like soda pop.

"Of course we're friends. I don't know what I'd do without you, Izuku." Her smile was soft and heartfelt, resulting in Izuku giving one in return. They stared into each other's eyes for a second, before quickly looking away - both of them flustered.

"I-I think we can take this off now! Lemme s-see if I can f-find some bandages!" Izuku broke away to frantically search the cabinets. Ochako suddenly found the floor to be very interesting, as she couldn't bring herself to look at him for the moment. After finding the bandages, he carefully lifted her foot and slowly wrapped the bandages around her ankle. His hands were rough, but gentle. It was comforting in a way Ochako had never experienced before.

"Seems like the swelling has gone down a lot." Izuku helped her onto the ground, where she found that it didn't hurt nearly as bad anymore.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Ochako exclaimed, looking completely astounded.

"You should still be careful. I'll help you back outside, but you should sit down and let us handle everything else." Izuku knew she wouldn't like that, and he was completely right. But, Ochako knew her friends would keep her in check, so she might as well take the time to relax. She nodded in understanding, grabbed her shoe, and walked back outside.

The two of them could hear grunting and shouting, as they saw the boys against the girls in a game of "Tug of War". Both sides tried their hardest as they pulled with all their might.

"PUT YOUR BACKS INTO IT YOU WEAKLINGS!" Katsuki yelled to his team, a bead of sweat rolling down his face.

"C'mon, we can do this girls!" Mina shouted, encouraging her own team.

As things seemed to be evening out, the girls gave one final push and sent all the boys stumbling forward on their faces. The girls jumped around in glee, hugging each other over their victory.

"Aw man, how did we lose?" Denki muttered, spitting grass out of his mouth.

"And since there was no winner in the first round and the second round was a tie, the winner of the 'Boys vs Girl Competition' is… THE GIRLS!" Momo announced, resulting in a beaming Tsuyu and a high-fiving Mina and Kyoka. All the female students cheered for the teams' victory, some of them even teasing some of the sulking boys. Tsuyu spotted Izuku and Ochako coming closer from the corner of her eye.

"Welcome back, Ochako. Are you okay?" Concern written all over Tsuyu's face. Ochako gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, seriously! You don't have to worry about me."

"Dammit Deku, if you hadn't abandoned us we might've actually won." Katsuki said, with his arms crossed.

"C'mon man, you know he had something we had to deal with. By the way, what you did was totally manly!" Eijiro tightened his fist, his passion spreading through him. Izuku nervously scratched the back of his head.

"I, uh, guess you could say that.."

"Alright everyone, the parents will be here very soon. Let's get cleaned up!" Momo shouted, causing Tenya to spring into action.

Ochako watched from her seat as people carried boxes, breaking down tables, and picking up trash. Kyoka walked past her as she carried a box full of decorations.

"Hey Kyoka, is there anything you need me to-"

"Noooo way." Ochako should've seen that coming, but she figured it couldn't have hurt to ask.

"We've got it all covered here. Why don't you head home? You deserve a good rest after today." Kyoka suggested, giving the brunette a smile before walking off. If no one was gonna let her help, she figured going home was her only other option. As she walked to her car, she saw Eri and Izuku talking with each other as he helped clean up. Ochako watched the child's face light up as she described everything about her day to her dad. The brunette couldn't help but smile, glad that the activities were able to get through to her.

* * *

Ochako sipped from her cup of green tea as she sat on her couch, her recovering ankle elevated on the ottoman. She wiggled her toes as she stared at her bandages. Remembering the stillness of his hands. The softness of his voice. Those feelings were ones that she couldn't easily forget. Things were complicated. She didn't like complicated.

She took another sip. Green. Just another reminder of him. She hastily downed the rest of it before getting up to get some more. She remembered to keep her steps slow and steady.

She was light on her feet. But the heaviness in her heart was weighing her down.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, here with Chapter 4! I'm really sorry about how slow I'm getting these chapters out, but I think I've got a good grasp on where the story's gonna go from here. So if you're enjoying, I hope that you'll bare with me..**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 - One Tasty Present**

Sunlight crept through the window as the morning atmosphere began to settle in. Ochako let out a small yawn, still feeling the bits of drowsiness in her eyes. She put a spoonful of cereal into her mouth, and kicked her legs as she sat at her table. It was cheap, but pretty tasty. Not like Ochako was ever a picky eater anyway.

Her television was on, but the sound was muffled out as she was deep in thought. She had gotten the news that the kids had very much enjoyed the field day yesterday, and while she was incredibly overjoyed, that wasn't what made her cheeks grow rosier. That wasn't what made her heartbeat quicken. That wasn't what made her toes curl up out of pure excitement, if that's what you would call it.

She looked at the bandages wrapped around her foot, which she could no longer feel any pain. His rough but gentle fingers, his dorkishly scattered freckles, his sweet and calming smile - it all popped into her vision. The guy who lived directly above her.

Why did he make her feel so weird? Why was she so deep in thought about all this?

'It's so...confusing.' She thought to herself, eating more of her cereal.

She shook those thoughts from her head, and decided to focus on something else. She had to admit she felt bad. Afterall, Izuku was always the one helping her - picking her back up when she fell. Literally.

She couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the realization. She clenched her fist with a new determination welling up inside of her.

"That's it! I'm gonna get Izuku a gift!" Ochako exclaimed, excitedly standing up from her chair. However, that wasn't all there was to it. Would it be something bought or something homemade? Expensive or reliable? Ochako already wasn't the wealthiest girl, but she figured she would be able to make something work.

It was a simple task, but it was already getting her giddy. She had always loved watching the smiles on people's faces, ever since she was child. Ochako had seen Izuku smile plenty of times before. But to be able to see him smile because of something from her, with him and only him in mind. She would not miss that opportunity.

Ochako finished her cereal, and put the bowl and spoon in the sink to be washed later. She changed out of her pajamas into some fresh clothes, and threw on a jacket over top. She put on her backpack with her essentials and grabbed her keys before leaving her apartment.

The air was slightly humid as she exited the apartment complex, as it had rained the night before. Droplets of dew were sprinkled onto the grass, and the sun peeked its way from behind the clouds - it's rays nearly causing the water to glisten before Ochako's hazelnut-brown eyes. She smiled as she enjoyed the scenery, and decided on walking to the train station instead of going for a drive.

She had to admit, the walk was peaceful. Granted, there weren't many other people around; which was surprising, but Ochako wasn't complaining. She occasionally hopped into the puddles of different sizes scattered along the sidewalk, splashing the water onto her shoes. She couldn't help but feel like a child.

Arriving at the train station, she rushed onto the train and plopped herself into one of the seats - a light puff of air escaping her mouth. She subconsciously pulled out her phone and fiddled around with it. It was a flip phone - and while it definitely wasn't the most expensive or high-tech, as long as she was able to get in contact with her family and friends, Ochako was satisfied.

Ochako looked to notice that she had received a message not too long. She opened it up to see that it was from one of her long-term best friends, Tsuyu.

**Tsuyu:** _Morning, Ochako. How've you been holding up since yesterday? I'm a little worried. That fall looked really bad._

'Oh, Tsu. So sweet, so caring. You're like the big sister I've always wanted. My guardian angel.' Ochako grinned, her heart softening slightly.

**Tsuyu:** _Maybe you should try to actually look where you're running to next time._

'Orrr, maybe not…'

**Ochako:** _No need to worry, Tsu. I'm totally fine! Thanks to Izuku, I can walk around completely fine now!_

**Tsuyu:**_ That's a relief. I'm grateful to him._

Ochako's cheeks turned the slightest bit rosier. She stared at the screen in thought, hesitating to write her next message.

**Ochako:**_ By the way, I'm actually going out to look for a gift for him now. Can you think of anything you think he might like?_

**Tsuyu:** _How should I know?_

Ochako stiffened, completely taken aback by how straightforward she was.

**Tsuyu:** _I barely know anything about him. You've spent much more time with Izuku than I have. I'm sure you'll be able to pick up an idea or two._

**Tsuyu:**_ But to be honest, I'm certain he'll be satisfied with whatever you get him._

Ochako could understand. Izuku had seemed to be the type to not let anyone feel bad about what they get him, so he's always happy with anything they offer. It was considerate of him, but Ochako was gonna give this her all. She felt like she had to.

**Ochako:**_ I appreciate the help, Tsu! The train's about to pull into the station. I'll talk to you later._

The brunette put her phone back in her pocket, and waited as the train slowly came to a complete stop. She stepped out and into the bustling city, which was much more occupied than the previous area. Multiple stores and establishments were open, waiting for customers to file in. Ochako took a deep breath and started walking her way forward.

While her conversation with Tsu was enjoyable, it really didn't shine anymore light on what in particular Izuku would like. She held her chin in her hand, scrunching her eyebrows together as she pondered.

'I remember his room being covered with All Might merchandise. Should I get him something related to that?' Her eyes drifted up to see a tall, dark-blue haired man with glasses, looking into the window of a bakery. A sheer look of concentration on his face. Ochako's face lit up as she quickly recognized him.

"Tenya! Hey!" The man in question turned to see the brunette running up to her, his expression quickly going from concentrated, to confused, to smiling.

"Ah, Ochako! Didn't expect to see you here. How are you doing this fine morning?"

"Good! My ankle's as good as new, so I don't have to worry about that anymore." She tapped her foot on the ground to demonstrate.

"But, I'm confused. Shouldn't you be at the cafe?" Ochako asked him.

"I decided to close today in order to incorporate some new menu ideas. Variety is something I think will be vital to our growing as a business." Tenya gazed back into the window. Ochako let out a small "ahhh" of understanding.

"I guess you could say I'm…looking for inspiration!" Tenya shouted, striking a weird pose - gaining the unwanted attention of many bystanders. All Ochako could do was chuckle awkwardly, waiting for the attention to go away.

"Actually, it's good I ran into you! I've been trying to think of a gift for Izuku, but I'm completely drawing a blank. You two have been friends for a long time, right? What kind of gift do you think he'd want?" Ochako asked Tenya, a slight look of concern on her face. He put a finger to his chin as he pondered.

"Hmm, that's a good question."

"Superheroes are Izuku's thing. But, he has so much merchandise that there's a good chance what you get for him, he very well might already own. Unfortunately, I don't think something material would be the best idea." Tenya stated, leaving Ochako with a sour expression on her face.

"So then, what should I do?" Tenya continued to think, until a light bulb flickered on in his head.

"My mom used to tell me that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Maybe you could try cooking him something." Ochako's face lit up once again. Cooking a meal was plenty possible.

"Oh, that's a great idea! What's his favorite food?" Ochako exclaimed, getting closer to him. Tenya didn't break a sweat, and transformed back into his thinking face.

"I believe it's always been katsudon. His mom used to cook it for him all the time." Katsudon, huh. She's never cooked it before. But, she'd be damned if she wasn't gonna try to make it the best possible. Her eyes filled with fiery determination.

"You're the best! Thanks so much, Tenya! I've gotta get to the grocery store!" The brunette said before running off - leaving a bewildered, but amused Tenya behind.

"Best of luck to you!"

* * *

Katsuki violently slurped his noodles, tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead as the sheer spiciness entered into his mouth. Izuku had promised him the ramen if he came to the field day, and Katsuki would be the last one to forget about it.

"Could you not slurp so loud? You're messing up my concentration." Izuku told the spiky-haired man, getting slightly annoyed. Katsuki's eyes twitched in frustration, glaring at him.

"I'll slurp however the hell I want! I put up with your kiddy bullshit, so you're just gonna have to deal with it!" He shouted, then immediately went back to eating - somehow louder this time.

"You should really learn some decent manners at some point in your life." Shoto added from the left side of Izuku, irking Katsuki even more.

"SHUT THE HELL UP, HALF N' HALF! I'M PLENTY MANNERFUL! AND WHY THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN HERE?"

"Wanted soba." Shoto put his hands in a praying position, before beginning to eat his own noodles. Katsuki continued to make a ruckus as Izuku looked around from where the three sat at the bar, noticing occasional glances from various other customers.

'Yeah. They already want us gone..' He sweatdropped, before nervously turning back around. After things calmed down, Izuku decided to open up on what he was thinking about.

"I guess while I have you guys here, I wanna talk to you about something." Shoto and Katsuki's eyes glanced toward him in the middle, silently waiting for him to continue.

"You guys remember Ochako, right?" Katsuki let out a huge laugh, making Izuku flinch slightly in surprise.

"Oh yeah, I remember! She was the girl who busted her ass during that race you two were doing!" It caused Izuku to scrunch his eyebrows slightly, as Katsuki eventually toned down his laughter. Shoto nodded to Izuku, signaling him to go on.

"Well, for some reason, whenever I'm around her I feel...warm. My heartbeat gets faster, my breathing's uneasy.."

"But you've always been nervous around girls. Ever since high school at least." Shoto told Izuku, recalling plenty of examples where Izuku would be stiff as a rock and red as a tomato if a member of the opposite sex got too close to him. Izuku looked at him, a slight glow in his emerald-colored eyes.

"Shoto, this feels different. I don't know how to explain it, but there's something new when I'm around her that I don't feel with any other girl." Shoto let out a soft "hmm", as he took the time to think.

"Izuku. Do you think you might be in lo-"

"UGH, GROSS! I'M TRYING TO EAT OVER HERE! YOU'RE RUINING THE TASTE OF THE RAMEN!" Katsuki yelled in disgust, leaning as far away as he could from the two.

"Impossible. All noodles are delicious." Shoto retorted, with a somewhat cold tone.

Love? Is that what he was about to say? Maybe loaf? Lobster? No no, it was actually what Izuku thought it was. He wasn't sure if his emotions were prepared for that.

"I-I don't k-know, Shoto. L-Let's not jump to c-conclusions here!" Izuku stuttered. His face now completely red, he frantically waved his hands in front of him.

"Luckily, you're not in any rush to figure it out. But, you never know what could happen." Shoto calmly went back to eating his soba. Katsuki chewed on a slice of pork as he stared at the embarrassed Izuku from the corner of his eye. Shoto finished his soba and immediately asked the chef for another serving.

'Something tells me we're gonna be here for a while.' Izuku thought, a soft smile on his face.

* * *

Ochako stumbled inside her apartment with two brown bags filled with groceries. She had researched on the ingredients needed to make katsudon, buying the things that she didn't already have in her kitchen. She plopped the bags onto the counter, a puff of air escaping her mouth. Gathering herself together, she took off her jacket and tied an apron around her waist. She put her brown hair into a short, loose ponytail.

"Let's do this. I'm gonna make a katsudon that'll knock his socks off!" Ochako exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air.

The recipe was actually rather simple. She had decided to use four pork chops, pounded and coated with flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs. She heated the oil in her pan and placed the pork inside to hear that sweet, satisfying sizzle she loved so much. Once they were fried and crispy, she chopped some onions and tossed them into a pan - and added some stock, soy sauce, mirin, and a pinch of sugar. She cut the cooked pork into slices, and placed it on top of the onions. Then, she beat some eggs and poured them over top of the pork chops to add that extra flavor.

With that step completed, you used her trusted, tiny rice cooker to make some steamed rice. That part was by far the easiest, seeing as she had eaten bowls of plain rice so many times in order to save money. At this point, it was a huge comfort food for her. She took a container and layered everything inside, steamed rice on the bottom and pork and onions on top. She sprinkled some scallions on top of everything to make it look the tiniest bit prettier, and after a total of about 40 minutes, everything was complete.

Ochako whipped a bead of sweat off her forehead, and marvelled at her creation with a satisfied grin on her face. She did regret not saving a little bit so that she could taste test it, but she didn't want to mess up how it looked either. She supposed she was just going to have to trust her gut.

"Now all that's left is to give it to him." Ochako said, before quickly realizing the implications. Giving it to him, which meant seeing him, which meant talking to him.

A blush dusted her cheeks. Why was the idea of a simple conversation making her nervous? It's not like she couldn't talk with him before. She figured she was just being ridiculous, and slapped her cheeks to bring herself back to focus.

As she went back and forth through her apartment getting ready to leave, she found herself continuously stopping to check her hair in the mirror. She went to the bathroom to rinse her face, and even took the time to spray a little perfume from her cabinet. She caught herself in the act and quickly put it away.

"It's not even gonna take that long, Ochako! Just a simple exchange between two perfectly normal people." She let out a sigh and walked back out to the kitchen, where she grabbed the container, and left the apartment. She walked down the hallway and up the single flight of stairs to reach Izuku's floor. She slowly took steps down the hallway, each one bringing her closer to his door.

"Check it, Izuku. Made some banging katsudon for ya." Ochako said quietly to herself, practicing what she was going to say to him. She frantically shook her head.

'No, no. Too much slang..'

"Hiya, Izu! Hope you love it as much as I loved making it for you!" She ended her statement with a wink.

'Ugh, no. Too peppy..'

By the time she had finished that thought, she was already standing in front of the door. She took a deep breath, and lightly knocked on the door. Her heart was going a mile a minute, her feet getting antsy as she waited for the door to open. Any moment now, he would be standing in front of her with that criminally, adorable smile of his.

…

Any moment now.

But, nothing happened. Ochako knocked again, a little louder this time. Nobody ever came to the door. She was both relieved and disappointed that she didn't get to see him. Out of curiosity, she went to turn the handle - and to her surprise, the door opened. She took one step into the familiar looking, All Might-themed living room. It was weird recalling that the first time she'd ever seen this room wasn't because she had chosen to.

"Hello? Izuku?" She called out, hesitantly waiting for a response. As she suspected, no one answered her. She walked into the kitchen, placing the container on the counter. She had found a pen and a spare napkin, which she figured would work well enough, to leave him a note. Leaving it on top of the container, she left and closed the door to his apartment.

'There was nothing to worry about. I guess he'll eat it whenever he gets back.' She thought, making her way back down to her room.

* * *

After picking up Eri from his mother, Izuku and his daughter walked down the hallway towards his apartment. The rest of the ramen trip hadn't been too eventful. Katsuki seemed satisfied and that's pretty much all that mattered.

He opened the door and the little girl rushed inside, giggling as she made her bunny toy fly through the air. Izuku smiled as he watched her, softly closing the door behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a large red container sitting in the kitchen. Confused, he walked over and noticed a napkin with writing on top of it. He picked it up to get a closer look.

_Hey, Izuku. I just wanted to make you a little something to show my appreciation for everything you've done for me. It really means a lot to me, so I hope you enjoy! Tenya told me it was your favorite._

_From, Ochako 3_

"She made something..for me." He said quietly, his cheeks slowly flushing with red. His eyes transferred from the note down to the container. He took the lid off and the steam began to rise off of it. The mouthwatering aroma entered his nostrils, as he couldn't believe what he was looking at.

"K-K-KATSUDON!?" Izuku stuttered, a little louder than he had expected. Eri looked over towards her father in confusion. He quickly whipped the drool from his mouth, and composed himself as he recollected on the sheer generosity Ochako had possessed. He turned to smile at Eri, who was already looking at him.

"Well Eri, you hungry?"

* * *

Ochako curled up onto her couch watching television. Since she didn't have anything else to do, she had changed into a plain t-shirt and shorts to be as comfortable as possible. She was snapped out of her state of relaxation however when she heard a knock on her door. She groaned slightly, not mentally prepared for company at the moment. Hopefully, it was just someone arriving at the wrong room. She rolled off the couch and made her way to the door.

"Who is it?" Ochako called to the person on the other side.

"It's Izuku."

SERIOUSLY!?

Ochako panicked slightly, frantically trying to straighten out her hair in a way that didn't make her look like she had slept for 16 hours. She gained her composure and opened the door to see both Izuku and Eri innocently standing in front of her. She noticed Izuku carrying the container of katsudon in his hands.

"Hi, Miss Chako!" Eri greeted her with a bright smile, causing the brunette to wave at the little girl in response.

"Firstly, I wanna thank you. You didn't have to do this for me y'know." Izuku said, Ochako almost chuckling at his selflessness.

"Well, I felt like I had to do something. But, why'd you bring it back to me?" Ochako started to get nervous. Did he not like it?

"About that. I-I, or we, wanted to s-share it with you." Ochako's cheeks darkened slightly as she noticed his soft, innocent smile.

"But, Izuku! This whole thing is supposed to be about you!"

"I suppose so. But if that's the case, then it would make me happier if I could share it with you. A-and Eri of course." The last line making the little girl smile even brighter.

He was too sweet for his own good. Ochako smiled softly, as she had no choice but to give in. She welcomed the both of them inside, and Izuku set the container on the small dining table. Eri climbed onto one of the seats, and Ochako went to go get bowls and chopsticks for the three of them.

"I haven't even tasted it. So, it might not even be good for all we know." Ochako said jokingly, resulting in a soft chuckle from Izuku that made her heart skip a beat.

"It looks and smells delicious to me. I'm sure it'll taste amazing too." Izuku scooped some into the bowl for Eri, and then into his own. Ochako followed directly after him. The three put their hands into a praying position.

"Thank you for the food!" They all said in unison for getting ready to take the first bite. Ochako watched Izuku grab both a slice of pork and some rice with his chopsticks, and toss it into his mouth.

'Down the hatch.' Ochako thought before eating some from her own bowl.

The pork was crispy and succulent, its warmth filling her body as soon as it hit her tongue. The soft, fluffiness of the rice was a soothing contrast that complimented the pork perfectly. She could taste everything. The soy sauce, the mirin, the onions. The kick of the egg was the finishing touch, as she swallowed with pure bliss.

"Ochako..this is absolutely amazing." The brunette looked up to see neverending tears falling from his eyes. His cheeks puffy and red as he slowly ate more and more. She felt a special pride in hearing him say that.

"Yummy, yummy!" Even Eri was enjoying it, although she had scraped away the onions and scallions. Either way, Ochako saw it as a complete win.

"This is actually pretty good! Not too bad, Ochako!" She proudly shouted, giving herself a pat on the back.

"You're not giving yourself enough credit, Ochako. This is restaurant-quality! Man, I would eat this everyday if I could!" Izuku continued to praise her, making the brunette blush even more. At this point, it was hard to tell if she was floating or not.

It didn't take long for the container to be empty, and as per Eri's suggestion - the three decided to watch a movie in the living room. Ochako didn't have much of a selection, but they settled on watching something called "My Neighbor Totoro". Eri had somehow persuaded her way into having the couch to herself, so Ochako and Izuku sat on the floor with their backs leaned against it. Of course Ochako had seen the movie before, but both Eri and Izuku hadn't. It was funny to see the difference in reaction - with Eri spewing about how cute and cuddly everything looked, and Izuku nerding out about how Totoro constantly reminded him of the BMI Hero: Fat Gum comics.

"Hey Daddy, do you think that Deku and Totoro would be friends?" Eri asked her father as she played with the green bunny plushie.

"Of course! They'd be best friends!" Izuku gave her a big smile, causing the little girl to giggle in delight. Ochako smiled at the girl as well.

"By the way, where did the name Deku come from? Do you know?" Ochako asked, looking towards Izuku. He gave her a soft smile.

"It's actually my nickname. Well, to one person at least."

"Woah, seriously!?" Izuku responded with a light nod.

"To be honest, I actually used to hate it. It was a way to make fun of me and make me feel like a wimp. By the time I had adopted Eri, I had gotten over it. That bunny was the first gift I had ever got her, and she named it 'Deku'. It's done so much for her and I rarely see her without it now. In a way..it made me feel kinda proud." Ochako gazed at him as he talked, the last part bringing a smile to her face.

"I guess you could say 'Deku' is the name of a hero. Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute!" Ochako said, pumping her fist up slightly. There was a comfortable silence for a second, the voices coming from the movie echoing around them.

"Hey...do you mind if I call you Deku from now on? It could be like my nickname for you too! T-that is if you're okay with it.." Izuku's freckled cheeks dusted red as he looked away, scratching the back of his head.

"S-sure! I-I don't mind at all!" Ochako smiled warmly as she pulled her knees closer towards her chest.

"Then there'd be two Dekus, right Eri?" Izuku said to his daughter as he looked up onto the couch. To his surprise, Eri snored softly as she cuddled with the plushie in her arms.

"Looks like someone fell asleep. I guess that means it's time to head back." Izuku stood up, grinning sadly. Ochako stood up too, watching the little girl gently get picked up and held in her father's arms. Izuku and Ochako walked towards the door and Ochako opened it for him.

"Thanks again for letting us spend some time here. And of course, thanks for the delicious food as well." Izuku spoke softly to her, careful to not wake up Eri.

"No problem at all. I really enjoyed spending time with you guys." Izuku took a single step before turning back to her.

"See you later, Ochako."

"See you later. Deku." Heat rose to his cheeks again, and he couldn't keep his smile under control. He walked down the hallway and Ochako slowly closed the door. The weight she was feeling was finally removed, and her back slid the door as she held her cheeks in her hands.

As Izuku walked further down the hallway, he began to hear light giggles close to his ear, and felt Eri slightly trembling in his arms.

"Daddy likes Miss Chako. Daddy likes Miss Chako." Eri quietly sang, teasing her already embarrassed father.

"Were you faking being asleep this whole time?" His only response was a light sigh as she relaxed her head back onto his shoulder. Izuku chuckled as he caressed her head in his hand.

Maybe he did.


End file.
